Best Friends
by Atuliel
Summary: AH. Carly oversteps her bounds and Jason isn't quiet about it.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All belongs to _General Hospital_ creators and writers.

* * *

"You have a choice," Carly said, her voice deadly. "You can talk to me in front of your children and they can hear what I think about you, or you can send them off to bed."

Elizabeth scowled at Carly. She could practically feel the hatred burning in Carly, the desire to do whatever it took to destroy Elizabeth. It made her shudder.

She turned to her boys, resigned to the fact that she'd have to deal with Carly's rampage on her own. Or would she?

"Cameron, it's time for bed," she said flatly.

"But I'm not tired!" he protested.

She wanted to smile at how adorable her little boy was, but the room was so thick with tension it sucked away any joy she had.

"Now, please."

"Fine," he pouted, hopping off the couch.

"Come on, baby," Elizabeth said to her little boy, picking him up from his playpen.

She backed toward the stairs, issuing one warning to Carly.

"For God's sake, don't be down here when I get back," she said, trying not to sound as angry as she felt.

She ushered Cameron up the stairs, ignoring the glare Carly was giving her. Cameron trotted up in front of her and Jake simply waved his arms about, smiling. She thought her children were lucky to be so unaware of the tension.

After she tucked her boys in, kissing them each good night and heading back for the stairs, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She brought up the number on speed dial and checked to make sure the speaker volume was low, but didn't press the send key just yet. She really didn't want to have to do this, and even though she usually just handled Carly on her own, she was sick and tired of the way Carly liked to play dirty—picking fights with people, and then running to Jason to complain about how people were doing her wrong.

_Besides, I'm not the one Carly should be yelling at. We aren't friends and there's no reason for me to confide in her. If she's gonna yell at anyone, it should be her 'best friend,' not me._

Especially considering the enormity of the lie Jason had told.

Elizabeth started down the stairs and sighed when she saw that Carly was, in fact, still there. She pushed the button to make the call, putting it on speaker phone, as she marched down the rest of the way. She took a deep breath when Carly glanced back at her, acknowledging her presence.

Carly turned and faced her head-on. Elizabeth set the phone down on the coffee table and stood there, waiting.

"I've been going back over the time since Jake was born," Carly said slowly. "Even before. How Jason was so attentive to you, played the hero."

Elizabeth raised her chin and folded her arms. She was certain Jason would've treated her that way anyway, but she said nothing to increase Carly's ire.

* * *

Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the number. _Elizabeth_. He picked up eagerly.

"Hey."

He listened, but there was no answer. "Elizabeth, is everything okay?" He heard a clunk and blinked, confused and a little worried. What was going on? He was just about to hang up when he heard Carly's voice. His eyes widened and he ran for the door.

* * *

"He's known for a long time, hasn't he?"

"What does any of this have to do with you?" Elizabeth asked, irritated.

"Besides the fact that you used a baby to get your hooks into my best friend?" Carly shot back, looking almost amused.

"If you're upset because Jason didn't confide in you, it's because he _couldn't_," she defended him, forcing herself not to glance, even inconspicuously, down at the phone. "He wanted to keep this a secret."

Carly scoffed. "_Jason_ wanted to keep this a secret?"

"Yes," Elizabeth insisted, frowning.

She was trying her hardest, but all she could feel was anger beginning to boil within her and take over her mouth, as it often did when she was attacked this way. "You know, we didn't plan any of this, Carly," she continued, half-trying to calm the other woman down, half-trying to calm herself. "He'd ended things with Sam; my marriage was falling apart—"

"Did you ask yourself why?" Carly demanded.

Elizabeth stared at her, slightly confused. The words 'drug user' and 'cheater' came to mind, but she said nothing.

"Did you see this as a crisis?" the other woman asked. "No, you saw it as a golden opportunity."

Carly was stiffening visibly, walking closer. Elizabeth wanted to back away, but held her ground, staring Carly down. "You ran to Jason's bed so fast you left a vapor trail! You took advantage of his kindness and his generosity," Carly accused, disgusted.

Elizabeth nearly snorted. "Oh, please, you treat Jason like his life is open 24/7 for your convenience."

Carly only grew angrier at this. _Must have hit a nerve there_, Elizabeth thought, but forced herself not to say it.

"You can't stand that we're close!" Carly yelled.

Elizabeth wanted to burst into laughter. _Project much?_ she thought irritably. "As if he has nothing better to do than deal with your petty little problems," she snapped.

"I will make _sure_ Jason sees you for who you really are," Carly threatened.

"Grow _up_, Carly!" Elizabeth snapped. She wanted to roll her eyes. How pathetic could she get? _Why is Jason friends with this b—er, woman—again?_ "We have a baby's welfare to consider, not to mention Lucky and everyone else involved."

"You trashed your marriage, because you slept around on your husband!" Carly shot back.

_And Lucky did what, again?_ she thought before spitting out her response. "This coming from _you_, the town whore?" she said sarcastically, unable to hold the thought back.

Carly curled her lip and smacked her hard across the cheek. Elizabeth felt the sting puff up her cheek and held one hand to it in pain. She felt a pang of regret: _Sam_ was the town whore. _Oops_.

"You need to get out of my house," she said, even as Carly grabbed her coat.

"You got pregnant on _purpose_, you hypocritical little slut!" Carly screeched angrily.

_What?! How can you get pregnant on purpose? I guess Carly would know_, she thought, still feeling the prickle of Carly's hand on her cheek.

"If that's what you need to believe to acce—"

"Carly, get the hell away from her!"

The door slammed open and Jason came in with the most furious expression Elizabeth had ever seen him wearing. He held his cell phone to his ear for a brief moment longer before hanging it up and stuffing it in his jacket pocket as he stormed in. It took him exactly three steps to reach the two women, and then he stood directly in front of Elizabeth, staring down his 'best friend' with such ire that Carly actually cringed away from him.

Elizabeth peered around Jason's shoulder to find Carly glancing down at the phone lying on the coffee table.

"You _called_ him?" she shrieked. "You pathetic little—"

"_**Shut up, Carly**_," Jason roared, barely containing his rage.

And Carly actually shut up. The silence seemed too quiet to Elizabeth's ears.

"Clearly, she was right to call me," Jason continued after a moment, quieter this time. "I don't want you near Elizabeth or her children—"

"Oh, _her_ children, huh? So Jake isn't yours, too? Did she talk you into that as well?"

"It was _my_ decision, Carly!" Jason ground out, glaring down at her. "Don't try to pin this on Elizabeth, because it's not her fault. You want to yell at someone, yell at me. But I don't want you near her or her kids again."

"You don't want me near your son? Jason, how can you—"

"Because _obviously_ I can't trust you with this," he cut her off viciously.

Elizabeth couldn't see his face, and she was positive she didn't want to. He sounded scary enough.

"I want you to get out," he said softly, but in a tone that brooked no argument, his anger wearing down to hurt and annoyance.

"But—"

"_**Out**_!" he yelled.

Carly stared at him, looking stung. She blinked back tears and walked solemnly to the door, exiting slowly. Jason stood there for a long moment, heaving deep breaths in order to calm himself. Elizabeth didn't dare move, afraid that any such action would only cause him to turn his rage on her sooner. She was positive he would be angry with her about the phone, but Carly was _his_ friend and, she was _scary_—maybe not to Elizabeth, but definitely to small children. And even though Elizabeth wasn't _afraid_ of Carly, she _was_ smaller than the other woman, which meant that if Carly didn't want to leave, Elizabeth would have little chance of being able to make her go.

Elizabeth hoped the loud yelling and screeching hadn't woken her boys up, but she didn't hear anything above them, so she brushed the worry aside.

Gradually, Jason turned around and faced her, frowning deeply. He had his hands on his hips now, his brow furrowed. She winced, waiting for him to yell at her, too. After all, although her reasons were good, she hadn't exactly been fair in calling him behind Carly's back, and she hadn't been very nice to the woman, either. He opened his mouth and Elizabeth cringed.

"I…am so sorry she did this," Jason said at last, voice as soft and gentle with her as it usually was.

She blinked in surprise. "Um…it's not your fault."

"I know, but she shouldn't have," he replied. "And maybe I shouldn't have come here, either. I just…I heard her yelling at you and I couldn't let you do this alone. And when she slapped you…."

His eyes trailed to her pink and swollen cheek. She lowered her head, trying to hide it with her hair. Just moments later, she felt his fingers caressing the area, soothing it. She glanced up into his eyes.

"She had no right," he said stiffly, staring at her cheek still.

Elizabeth smiled at the obvious concern he was displaying. He cleared his throat, lowering his hand to his pockets again.

"Uh…so, did she say who told her?" Jason asked uncertainly.

"No, but I think it's pretty obvious," she said meaningfully.

"Sam?"

"Who else?"

Jason stiffened, eyes darkening at the mention of his ex-fiancé. Elizabeth couldn't help but allow herself a small grin at the obvious hatred he now had for the woman. He stared at her seriously and she peered up at him innocently.

"I'm glad you called me," he said simply.

She smiled. "Me, too. And I'm glad you came."

Before she knew it, Jason's lips were on hers, and she was sinking into his embrace, all thoughts of Carly melting away.


End file.
